Automatic dial operator



Sept.` 2, 1947. M. DEMEULENAERE ET Al.

AUTOMATIC DIAL OPERATOR Filed May 19, 1942 2 sheets-Ashe'e 1 A JJ" @5M Sept. 2, 1947. M. DEMEULENAERE ETAL. 2,426,600

AUTOMATIC DIAL OPERATOR Filed May 19, 1942- m .llllvillllvll Patented Sept. 2, 1947 AUTOMATIC DIAL OPERATOR Marcel Demeulenaere and Robert Demeulenaere, New York, N. Y.

Application May 19, 1942, Serial No. 443,652

20 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device designed for application to a conventional dial telephone by which any one of a group of telephone numbers may be automatically dialed by the simple manipulation of a control member.

The invention has for its object to reduce the number of parts as well as the structural detail and to otherwise simplify and render devices of this character more serviceable, economical and practical.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the automatic dial operator applied to a conventional dial telephone.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the casing of the dial operator and related parts detached from the supporting base.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the interior of the dial operator, the top plate of the casing and the record strips being removed.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the mechanism of the dial operator removed from the telephone,

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 and shows one of the record strips in operative position and the other partially removed.

Fig. 6 is a detail section of the terminal of the escapement lever and related stop members, and,

Fig. 'l is a detail sectional view showing the form of the stops in the record strips and the arms coacting therewith.

Fig. `8 is a fragmentary top plan view, and.' Fig. 9 is a sectional View through a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail the numeral I indicates a casing forming an enclosure and housing for the parts of the dial operator Which is arranged above a rim II conforming in shape and size to the base of a conventional dial telephone whereby the device may be properly positioned with respect thereto. For convenience in tilting the dial operator to a position in which the telephone dial is freely accessible for manual operation, the casing I0 is pivotally mounted in a bracket I2 to which the rim II is attached.

The casing I0 consists of top and bottom walls I4 and I5 retained in spaced relation by connecting strips I6. A dial operating crank I'I is rotatably mounted in the bottom wall I adjacent to one end thereof and the crank pin I8 thereof is positioned to enter the aperture in the impulse wheel overlying the 0 designation, when the parts of the dial operator are in the position of rest. The crank arm II is attached to a shaft I9 journaled in the bottom wall of the casing and .provided above the latter with a pinion meshing with a rack 2| rigidly attached to the underside of the shiftable member 22. As will be understood, the number of teeth on the pinion 20 and rack 2| are so selected that for each full stroke of the longitudinally movable member 22 the impulse disc of the telephone is turned through the maximum angle required for dialing operations.

A drive motor 23 is secured below the bottom plate I5 adjacent the end of the shiftable member.22 opposite the crank II and is provided with a crank pin 24 co-actingwith an abutment 25 provided in the shiftable member 22. The abutment 25 is constituted by the straight edge of an opening 25h in the member 22 through which the crank .pin 24 projects. The radius of the crank pin 24 is so chosen with respect to the gear ratio of the pinion 20 and rack 2| that, when said pin 24 co-acting with the abutment 25 has displaced the member 22 to its furtherest right hand position, the crank pin I8 occupies a position which corresponds with the normal rest position of the impulse disc of the telephone. The displacement member 22 is yieldably urged in the opposite direction to transmit dialing movement to the impulse disc by a Pair of springs 25a secured, on one hand, to the member 22 and, on the other hand, to the spacing member I6.

Thus, by a succession of movements of the displaceable member 22 of variable magnitude depending upon the items of a particular telephone number to be dialed, the crank pin I8 imparts a series of impulses to the impulse disc, thereby automatically dialing the selected telephone number. The means for controlling the motion of the shiftable member 22 consists of two or more rows of manually operable knobs 26A and 26B rotatably mounted in the top wall I4 of the casing. The two sets of lknobs are provided with manually settable arms which turn with the related knobs in the act of conditioning the device for operationl The arms 21A of one row of manually settable knobs cooperate with groups of motion limiting members `on a record strip 28A and the arms 21B of the other row cooperate with limiting members on a strip 28B, both strips being removably and interchangeably secured to the shiftable member 22 by suitable fastening de- Vices 29.

In the normal or rest position of the manipulating knobs 2BA- B the reduced outer ends oi the arms 21A-B occupy positions in grooves 30A and 30B in the strips 28A-B. When any one of the arms 21A-B is turned into operative position the tooth-like terminal 39a thereof is sprung out of the related groove 30A- B and swings across the corresponding strip 28A-B into position to successively engage each of a group of stops 3I provided in said strips. Thus, when the shiftable member 22 is released by rotation of the crank pin 24 and is permitted to move under the influence of the springs25, the movement of the displaceable member continues until it is arrested by engagement of the arm 21A-B with the first of the group of stops 3|. For this purpose the stops of each group-are arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the pre-selected telephone numbers to be dialed. After the rst operative stroke of the shiftable member 22 which is limited by engagement of the arm 21A--B with the first stop 3|, the crank pin 24 which continues to revolve during a complete dialing operation, reengages the abutment 25 and shifts the displaceable member to its initial or rest position. During the following revolution of the crank pin 24, the arm 21A- B is positioned to engage or sense the second stop 3| in the group.

The step by step movement of the arm 21A- B which is set into operative position, is effected by an escapement mechanism including a lever 32 and guides 33 and 34 cooperating therewith and forming part of one of the strips 2BA- B The lever 32 is in the form of a bell crank and is provided at one end with a slot 35 of sulicient length to permanently engage a pin 36 secured to a universal bar 31 slidably mounted on the underside of the top wall I4 of the casing and held in position and guided by pins 38. The other arm of the escapement lever 32 is provided with a laterally beveled tooth 39 which, in the initial position of the device, is engaged in one of the grooves 30A-B. The lever 32 is normally held in the position in which the tooth 39 engages the retaining groove 30A-B by the tension of a spring 40 normally tending to shift the universal bar 31 toward the left (Fig. 2) and swing the lever 32 in a counter-clockwise direction.

When the escapement lever 32 is swung across the two sets of guides 33-34 to condition the device for operation as shown in Fig. 2, the beveled tooth 39 is deflected and rides across the correspondingly shaped guides 33 but due to the shape of these parts as shown in Fig. 6, the escapement lever is held in the position to which it is swung and prevented lfrom returning to initial position under the influence of the spring 40 by the lowermost guide 33. The guides 33 are arranged in spaced relation in a row extending transversely of one of the strips 28A-B and the guides 34 are similarly arranged in a position in which the ends thereof enter the spaces between the guides 33. Thus, during successive strokes of the displacealle member 22 the tooth 39, moves off of the lowermost guide 33 and engages the lowermost guide 34. Upon reversal of the motion of the shiftable member 22, the tooth 39 moves in the opposite direction against the lowf ermost guide 34 and swings into engagement with the next successive guide 33. During successive movements of the shiftable member 22, the escapement lever 32 moves step by step from one to the other of the two groups of guides 33-34 and at the end of the dialing operation the tooth 39 comes to rest in the groove 38A-B of one of the strips 28A-28B.

The escapement lever 32 is swung in the clockwise direction to condition the device for operation and for the purpose of effecting such movement through the universal bar 31 each of the sensing arms 21A--B is provided with a slot 4| engaging a pin 42 carried by the universal bar 31. The wall of each slot 4| which engages the related pin 42 when any one of the knobs 2SA- B is turned to initiate operation of the device, is of greater length than the other wall. Consequently, when that knob which corresponds with the telephone number to be dialed is actuated, the wall of the slot 4| engages the related pin 42 and shifts the universal bar 31 longitudinally against the tension of the spring 40. Coincident with this longitudinal movement of the bar 31 the escapement lever 32 is swung clockwise and by cooperation of the beveled tooth 39 with the guides 33, the escapement lever together with the universal bar 31 and actuated knob ZEA-B are held until the motor 23 is set in operation and the shifting movement of the displaceable member 22 is initiated. Due to the form of the slots 4| in the sensing arms 21A- B the pins 42 cooperating with all except the actuated knob 26A-B move freely out of the slots 4| so as to prevent actuation of any of the sensing arms 21A-B except the one which has been manually set.

The operation of the electrical motor 23 is controlled by a switch 44 preferably of the pivoted snap type which controls contacts 45 interposed in the motor circuit. An arm of the switch 44 is located in a notch 46 provided in one edge of the universal bar 31 so that when said bar is shifted end-wise to condition the device for operation the switch 44 is closed. During the step by step movement of the universal bar incident to the sensing of the stops 3| by the arm 21A-B, the switch remains in the on position but is turned to the off position at the end of the step by step movement of the universal bar 31 when the switch arm encounters the opposite end of the notch 46.

As will be understood, the stops 3| of each group are arranged in accordance with the items of a telephone number to be automatically dialed and due to the comparatively small space which is required to accommodate the stops of the individual groups, each dialing device may be constructed so as to permit the automatic dialing of a comparatively large number of telephone numbers.

In operation, the .knob 2SA-B associated with the desired telephone number is merely turned a distance suicient to displace the terminal of the sensing lever 21A-B out of the slot 30A-B and into alignment with the outermost stop 3|. In Fig. 2 the lower knob 26B second from the lever 32' is shown as so adjusted. This motion is transmitted through the slot 4|, pin 42, the universal bar 31, pin 36, and slot 35 to the escapement lever 32. Owing to the flexibility of said lever and the inclination of the beveled tooth 39 it is cammed across the guides 33 and cornes to rest behind the outermost guide. The spring 40 tends to displace the universal bar and swing the lever 32 counter-clock-wise, but due to the cooperation between the guide 33 and tooth I39 the lever is held in set position. During displacement of the universal bar 31 the switch 34 is closed and the motor 23 is set in operation. As the motor-driven crank pin 24 revolves and swings away from the abutment 25 the springs 25a move the displaceable membe'r 22 toward the left and the rack 2| through engagement with the pinion 20 rotates the crank pin I8 and the impulse disc engaged therewith. The movement of the shiftable member 22 continues until arrested by engagement of the sensing lever 21A-B with the rst of the related group of stops 3| which, as will be understood, is arranged in dependence upon the first item of the telephone number to be dialed. The crank pin 24 disengages the abutment 2'5 when the shiftable member 22 is arrested by the sensing lever 21A-B but during continued rotation thereof it re-engages the abutment and restores the shiftable member to its extreme right hand position. During this reciprocation of the shiftable member the tooth 39 moving back and forth across the two sets of guides 33 and 34 affects an escaping movement of the' escapement lever 32 and a step-wise movement is imparted to the universal bar 31 and the operative sensing lever 21A-B so, as toposition the latter for engagement with the next succeeding stop in the related group. These operations are repeated until the device has performed a plurality of dialing operations correspondingv with the items of the selected telephone number and when the universal bar 31 is restored toits rest position the switch 44 is opened and operation of the motor 23 is interrupted.

To arrest the movement of the crank pin 24 at the termination of a dialing operation in the position in which the shiftable member 22 is disposed in its extreme right hand position, a twoarmed lever Sil-5l is provided. The lever is fulcrumed at 52, the short arm 50 thereof being engaged and operated by a pin 53 carried by the universal bar 31 and the long arm 5I being movable into the path of the arm of the crank pin 24 to arrest rotary movement thereof. When any one of the knobs ZA--B is actuated and the switch @4 is conditioned for operation, the lever Sii-5I is disengaged by the pin 53 and Withdrawn by a spring 54 against a stop 55 and in this position permits free rotary movement of the crank arm and pin 24, the motion of the latter being arrested at the completion of a dialing operation when the pin 53 swings the lever Ese-5l to operative position.

In the modication of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a group of stops Six, one for each arm 21A-B, is formed directly in the shiftable member 22x and iscurved concentrically with the axis of the related arm 21A-B. A record strip 28x is arranged above the shiitable member 22a: and is formed with perforations 50 arranged in dependence upon the items of the telephone number to be dialed and permitting the tooth 39a of the spring arm 21A-B to pass therethrough and engage the proper stop Sir and thereby periodically limit the shifting movement of the member 22a: at varying points depending upon the items of the telephone number to be dialed.

What we claim is:

l. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, drive means, a shiftable motion transmitting member between the drive means and the operating member for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, and manually settable means Co-aeting with said limiting members for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of the shiftable member,

2. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, and a manually settable member co-acting with and common to the several limiting members for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of the shiftable member.

3. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, drive means, a shiftable motion transmitting member between the drive means vand the operating member for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, a manually settable member co-acting with and common to the several limiting members for determining the extentof each of a series of shifting movements of the shiftable member, drive means for the said shiftable member, and means controlled by said manually settable means for initiating and interrupting operation of said drive means.

4; In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members movable with said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, and means including a pivoted manually settable member co-acting with saidlimitingmembers for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member.

5. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, a manually settable member, and means for moving said settable member stepwise into position to successively engage said limiting members and thereby determine the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of the shiftable member.

G. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, a manually settable member, an escapement member conditioned for operation by said settable member, and means eo-acting with said escapement member to move said settable member step-wise to successively engage said limiting members and thereby determine the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member.

'7. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating' member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, a pivoted manually settable member, a pivoted escapement lever conditioned for operation by said settable member, and means carried by the shiftable member and co-acting with said escapement member to move said settable member step-wise to successively engage said limiting members and thereby determine the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member.

8. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of groups of motion limiting members carried by said shiitable member, the limiting members of each group being arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone numbers to be dialed, a manually settable member associated with each group of limiting members, and means common to the several settable members and conditioned for operation by the setting of any one of said settable members to cause that settable member to move step-wise for successive engagement with the limiting members.

9. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, drive means, shiftable means for transmitting a succession of movements from said drive means to said operating member by a series of shifting movements, and

. manually controlled means coacting directly with said shiftable means for determining the extent of each of said series of shifting movements of said shiftable means.

10. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, drive means, shiftable means for transmitting a succession of movements from said drive means to said operating member by a series of shifting movements, and manually controlled means partly carried by and movable with said shiftable means for determining the extent of each of said series of shifting movements of said shifting means.

11. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, drive means, means shiftable by said drive means, a permanent drive connection between said shiftable means and said rotatable member for transmitting a succession of movements to said rotatable member by a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member, and manually controlled means co-acting directly with said shiftable means for determining the extent of each of said series of shifting movements of said shifting means.

1.2. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a shiftable member for imparting rotary movements of variable magnitude to said rotatable member, yieldable drive means for shifting the shiftable member, and manually controlled means for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member under the influence of said yieldable drive means.

13. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a shiftable drive member for said operating member, yieldable means tending to shift said shiftable member in one direction, drive means for positively and periodically shifting the shiftable member in the opposite direction, and manually settable means coacting with said shiftable member for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member under the inuence of said yieldable means.

14. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for driving said operating member, an abutment on said shiftable member, a motor-driven crank pin engaging said abutment, yieldable means normally tending to draw said abutment against said crank pin, and manually settable means co-acting with said shiftable member for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of said shiftable member under the iniluence of said yieldable means.

15. In an automatic dial operator, a shiftable dial operating member, a plurality of groups of motion limiting members on said operating member, a universal member, a manually settable member associated with each group of limiting members and normally independent of said universal member, means rendered operative upon setting oi any one of the settable members to displace said universal member, the other settable members remaining independent of said universal member, and escapement means rendered effective upon displacement of the universal member to move the latter and impart a step-wise movement to said settable member.

16. In an automatic dial operator, a shiftable dial operating member, a plurality of groups of motion limiting members on said operating member, a universal member, a manually settable member associated with each group of limiting members and normally independent of said universal member, means rendered operative upon setting of any one of the settable members.

to displace said universal member, the other settable members remaining independent of said universal member, escapement means rendered effective upon displacement of the universal member to move the latter and impart a step- Wise movement to said settable member, and a motor drive control actuated by said universal member.

17. In an automatic dial operator, a rotatable dial operating member, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to said operating member, a plurality of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member and arranged in positions corresponding with the items of the telephone number to be dialed, a plurality of guide members carried by said shiftable member, an escapement lever freely movable in one direction across said guide members and advanced step by step in the opposite direction by cooperation with said guide members during shifting movement of the shiftable member, and a manually settable member moved step by step with said lever to successively engage said limiting members.

18. In an automatic dial operator, a member` shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to a telephone dial, strips removably secured to said shiftable member, a plurality of groups of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member, said strips having openings arranged in positions corresponding ivith the items of the telephone number to be dialed and exposing portions of said limiting members, and a manually settable member co-acting with the exposed portions of each group of limiting members for determining the extent of each of a series of shifting movements of the shiftable member.

19. In an automatic dial operator, a casing, a rotatable dial operating member mounted in said casing, a member mounted for shifting movement in opposite directions in said casing, a plurality of groups of motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member, the limiting members of each group being arranged across said shiftable member in a direction perpendicular to the shifting movement of said shiftable member, and a manually settable member pivoted above said shiftable member and co-acting with the limiting members of each group.

'20. In an automatic dial operator, a member shiftable in opposite directions for imparting a succession of dialing movements to a telephone dial, a manually settable member, motion limiting members carried by said shiftable member 9 10 and cooperating with said manually settable member, and a strip having perforatons therein UNITED STATES PATENTS overlying said motion limiting members and arranged in dependence upon the items of the tele- Number Nam@ Date phone number to be dialed. 5 1,927,413 MOTH Sept. 19, 1933 MARCEL DEMEULENAERE 1,891,633 Batdorf Dec. 20, 1932 ROBERT DEMEULENAERE. 1,870,547 Wise Aug. 9, 1932 2,033,507 Batdorf Mar. 10, 1936 REFERENCES CITED 1,570,030 Balch Jan. 19, 1926 The following references are of record in the 10 1882106 WIS@ Oct' 11 1932 file of this patent: 

